In brief
New-generation smartwatches from TAG Heuer, Montblanc and Emporio Armani put health and exercise tracking first. The third-generation TAG Heuer Connected has built-in GPS, a heart rate monitor and its own Sports app; the Montblanc Summit 2+ includes a Workout Coach virtual fitness assistant; and the Emporio Armani Smartwatch 3 can take calls and play music.
[Ming Pao] With borders closed around the world and overseas travel off the table, the topics people care about most right now are health and exercise. At this moment, a new generation of smartwatches appears able to meet the needs of the pandemic period. Many traditional watch and fashion brands have been actively launching smartwatches in recent years, with health features as their main selling point. Besides common health apps such as Apple/Google and Workout Coachvirtual fitness assistants, some brands have also launched their own sports apps that record exercise and monitor physical condition for walking, running, cycling, working out and even golf, so that people can exercise more effectively and stay healthy!
TAG Heuer first launched its Connected premium smartwatch in 2015 and has since released a number of models, including the Connected Modular Golf Edition, which came out last year. This year, the Connected smartwatch reaches its third generation. The new watch puts performance first, preserving authentic watchmaking tradition while combining advanced digital technology designed around user needs. The smartwatch has built-in GPS, a heart rate monitor and other sensors. The TAG Heuer Sports app, created specially for the watch, offers relevant functions for different activities such as walking, running, cycling, working out and even golf, and it works together with the brand's mobile app to monitor physical condition.
5 ATM water resistance, suitable for swimming or running in the rain
Built for high-intensity activity, the watch has a sapphire crystal protecting the screen, a matte black ultra-light grade 2 titanium case, a rubber strap with excellent grip, breathability and comfort, 5 ATM water resistance suitable for low-flow, shallow-water activities such as swimming or running in the rain, and a 430mAh battery that lasts a full day (specially designed to support GPS, audio streaming and heart rate monitoring within a one-hour workout session). For long activities, the watch can run for up to 6 hours while using GPS to track exercise, monitor heart rate and play music, and it can be fully charged within 1.5 hours at 15 to 45°C.
The buttons at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions on the side of the case quickly open apps and start, pause, restart and reset various functions, while the rubber-wrapped crown can be rotated so the wearer can quickly browse information on the screen, which is especially suitable for use during activity. The sensors inside the watch record activity precisely, including a new non-medical-grade heart rate monitor, integrated naturally into the case back using high-tech resin, which can accurately calculate calorie consumption; the built-in GPS can record the route taken during exercise, calculate various performance measures and give directions, and the watch also has functions such as an accelerometer and a gyroscope. Wearers can record activity directly through the watch, including pace, stride length, distance, heart rate and split times, and the data can also be displayed in real time in the mobile sports app and synced with Apple Health or the Strava app.
The new-generation smartwatch was conceived 18 months ago by the brand's Chief Strategy and Digital Officer, Frédéric Arnault (a member of the Arnault family of the LVMH Group). The 45mm steel or titanium case echoes the design, quality materials and refined finishing of the brand's mechanical watches, including signature faceted lugs, polished and satin finishes, a ceramic bezel with a scale, a centrally placed crown and two new function buttons, a screw-down case back, and an elegant steel bracelet with a folding clasp or a black rubber strap. The dial uses an extremely legible OLED touchscreen protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. To extend battery life, the screen switches automatically between active mode and ambient mode and always displays the time. The watch comes with a magnetic charger and a travel case.
There are 5 dial designs, including a 3-hand version with the Heuer 02 in-house skeleton movement dial, a digital Carrera Heuer 01 dial, a crystal-like liquid dial, Orbital, a dynamic dial designed like a neural network, and a dial paying tribute to the hexagonal nanotube structure within the brand's carbon composite hairspring. Users can adjust functions to suit their personal style and needs. Dials and their colors can be changed easily, and the app will release new dial designs regularly. The new-generation Connected watch also uses a simple strap-change system: just pull the release lever on the back of the strap near the lugs to change straps easily and alter the look. Besides the basic steel and black straps, durable rubber straps in red, orange or khaki are also available.
Connected watches are powered by Wear OS by Google, supporting a range of everyday functions, including using Google Assistant and Google Translate through the microphone on the left side of the case, email and message notifications, paying with Google Pay at supported stores and in supported countries, controlling music, calendar, weather and maps, and downloading many apps from Google Play, for both iOS and Android phone users.
Virtual fitness assistant offers personalized advice
As for the Montblanc Summit 2+ smartwatch, which has just been released, it is the first smartwatch that can activate a mobile data network directly from an Android phone. Users can go online at any time even without carrying their phone. The 43.5mm steel case houses cutting-edge technology: the watch is equipped with a Snapdragon 3100 processor, a 440mAh battery and a 1.28-inch AMOLED screen, and uses 22mm interchangeable straps. The Summit 2+ has a built-in speaker, so users can make calls directly or use services such as Google Assistant. The design of the Summit 2+ is inspired by Montblanc's 1858 collection of watches, with more than 1,000 built-in dial combinations, allowing users to choose their favorite display, background, hands and complications. The case comes in four materials: black diamond-like carbon steel, stainless steel, rose gold-colored steel and bronze-colored steel, and can be paired with a variety of easily changed straps. Each watch has a rotating crown and two buttons.
The watch has built-in speedometer, altimeter, barometer, compass and Global Positioning System (GPS) functions. The Workout Coach function acts like the user's virtual fitness assistant, offering personalized exercise advice, automatically adjusting to the user's physical demands and providing appropriate pacing and training intensity levels, while the improved heart rate algorithm can track and manage the user's stress level and improve personal health.
Take calls and play music on your smartwatch
Emporio Armani should be among the earliest fashion brands to launch a smartwatch. Its Smartwatch 3, released at the end of last year, uses Google Wear OS and the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform, which helps optimize battery life. Through the new speaker function, users can take calls directly on the smartwatch, talk to Google Assistant, get reminders, or play music through compatible apps. The watch offers 4 battery settings so users can control and extend battery life; among them, "Extended Mode" keeps basic functions such as notifications and heart rate working while lasting several days on a single charge.
The new watch uses an ultra-light black aluminum case with blue, green, yellow, orange and silver accents. Its bright colors echo the sporty elements of the brand's fashion lines. The brand has always valued music culture, so Spotify, a music streaming platform, comes pre-installed on every smartwatch, letting people enjoy music anytime.
Original article URL: https://bit.ly/2WNeoRo